adjective
fussy
FUH-see
adjective
1
Overly concerned with small details; hard to satisfy.
"My grandfather is fussy about how his tea is made."
"She's fussy about her food and won't eat anything with sauce on it."
2
Easily upset or irritable, especially describing a baby.
"The baby gets fussy when he's overtired."
"She was a fussy toddler who cried at bedtime every night."
3
Cluttered with too much unnecessary detail or decoration.
"The wallpaper pattern was too fussy for such a small room."
How to Use Fussy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishPicky or hard to please over small things — or, for a baby, easily irritated and hard to settle.
Memory tip
"Fussy about" or "fussy over" something is the common pattern: fussy about food, fussy about details.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
fussy about details
fussy eater
fussy baby
Word Forms
fussier comparative, fussiest superlative
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My grandfather is _____ about how his tea is made.
Etymology
From fuss + the adjective-forming suffix -y.